Zurich fetes Helen Hunt

Fest to honor thesp with Golden Eye Award

BERLIN — The Zurich Film Festival will honor thesp Helen Hunt with its Golden Eye career award, the first female recipient of the prize.

Hunt will receive the honor on Sept. 21 before the fest’s European premiere of Fox Searchlight’s “The Sessions,” in which she stars.

The fest will also screen a retrospective of her films, including “As Good as it Gets,” “Twister,” “What Women Want” and “Then She Found Me,” which Hunt also co-wrote and directed.

“Helen Hunt is one of the most talented and gracious actresses on screen today,” said fest artistic director Karl Spoerri. “We are excited to celebrate her remarkable career at the festival this year.”

Hunt joins an impressive roster of Zurich honorees this year that includes Richard Gere, who will receive the Golden Icon Award; John Travolta, who will be presented with the Golden Eye Award for achievement in cinema; producer Jerry Weintraub, who is receiving the special career achievement award, and German filmmaker Tom Tykwer (“Cloud Atlas”), honored with the “A Tribute to…” ceremony and retro.